DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University inducted eight new selections into its Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday morning during a ceremony as part of Homecoming Weekend. The 2023 class featured seven former student-athletes and one former head coach — football standout Albert Brown '11, men's basketball standouts Charles Bryant '17 and James Contreras Jr. '18, baseball standout Adam Higgins '11, women's volleyball standouts Hannah Shields Contreras '18 and Sarah Smoot '17, women's tennis' Maaret Voutilainen Viskari '97 and former cross country head coach David Pavord '99.

Brown, Bryant, Contreras, Higgins, Shields Contreras, Smoot, Voutilainen Viskari and Pavord joined an elite membership student-athletes, coaches, administrators and contributors who have been inducted into the Averett Athletics Hall of Fame since 1998.

With six inductees able to attend in person and two others giving their speeches via video, all eight shared memories from Averett and thanked those who impacted them along the way. The Hall of Fame class was also recognized during halftime of the football game later in the day.

Rewatch the entire ceremony on YouTube

 

Albert Brown '11

Albert Brown was a four-year member of the Averett football program in 2007 and from 2009-11. A defensive tackle from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Brown was a three-time USA South All-Conference performer, earning First Team defensive line honors in 2010 and 2011 after being named to the Honorable Mention Team in 2009. Brown also earned national and regional recognition. As a senior in 2011, he was named to the D3ProDay.com Preseason All-America Honorable Mention Team and D3ProDay.com All-America Third Team, was selected to the 2011 D3 Senior Classic Preseason All-America South First Team and participated in the D3 Senior Classic All-Star game. Brown was named to the Roanoke Times All-State Second Team in 2010 and 2011, as well as the Virginia Sports Information Directors All-State Second Team in 2010. Brown finished his career with 135 total tackles — including 57 solo tackles and 2.5 sacks — one interception, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and two blocked kicks in 32 career games. In 2013, Brown was selected to the USA South's 50th Anniversary Team for football. Read more about Brown's career

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Charles Bryant '17

Charles Bryant was a four-year standout on the Averett men's basketball program from 2013-17. The 2016-17 USA South Athletic Conference Player of the Year finished his career as Averett's all-time rebounding leader with 882 boards. He's also sixth all-time in scoring at 1,304 career points in 106 career games. Bryant holds records for offensive rebounds in a season (122) and career (372). During his senior season, he averaged career-bests of 17.6 points and 10.4 rebounds a contest. Bryant helped Averett win two regular season conference titles and was twice named to the USA South All-Conference First Team, earned USA South All-Tournament Team honors in 2017 and was selected to the 2016-17 D3hoops.com All-South Region First Team and Virginia Sports Information Directors First Team to cap off his career. He totaled 26 double-doubles during his four seasons, and he earned all-tournament team honors in three regular season events, including MVP honors once. Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Sussex, Virginia, Bryant earned USA South Academic All-Conference honors multiple times and was named Averett's 2016-17 Dr. Tommy Foster Male Student-Athlete of the Year. Bryant also earned the service award from Averett's Athletics Communications Department as a senior. Read more about Bryant's career

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James Contreras Jr. '18

James Contreras Jr. was a standout on the Averett men's basketball team from 2014-18. The 2017-18 USA South Athletic Conference Player of the Year and was named the D3hoops.com South Region Player of the Year and Virginia Sports Information Directors State Player of the Year as a senior. He was selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division III All-South District First Team and the D3hoops.com All-Region First Team. He also was chosen to play in the 2018 Reese's Division III College All-Star Game. Contreras was named to the USA South First Team in each of his final two seasons and VaSID All-State Team once. Contreras surpassed the 1,000-point milestone, finishing with 1,520 career points — which ranked third all-time in program history. He averaged 14.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists over 106 career games, including 23.6 points per game during his senior season. He set the program single-game records for points (42) and made free throws (19) and holds the season record for free throws made (188) and attempted (228). He's the only Cougar to score 40 or more points in a single game twice during his career. Contreras helped the Cougars win two regular season titles during his four seasons. After his senior year, the native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, received Averett's Dr. Tommy Foster Male Student-Athlete of the Year award. Off the court, Contreras earned USA South Academic All-Conference honors multiple times. Read more about Contreras' career

Adam Higgins '11

Adam Higgins was a four-year starter for the Averett baseball program from 2008-11. The center fielder and leadoff hitter from Quinton, Virginia, was a three-time all-conference selection, earning USA South Athletic Conference First Team accolades in 2010 and 2011 after earning Second Team honors in 2008. He also earned American Baseball Coaches Association All-South Region Third Team honors in 2011 and was named to the Virginia Sports Information Directors All-State Second Team in 2010. Higgins finished his career ranked first in program history in hits (225), runs scored (169), stolen bases (91) and total bases while ranking third in batting average (.371). Never hitting below .345 in any of his four seasons, Higgins also finished his career with the program's season record for at-bats, runs scored and stolen bases and held the single-game records for runs scored, stolen bases and triples (also a USA South record). He also finished his career with 37 doubles, eight triples, six homers and 67 runs batted in in 150 games. Off the field, Higgins earned academic all-conference honors multiple times. In 2014, Higgins was named to the USA South's 50th Anniversary Team for baseball. Read more about Higgins' career

David Pavord '99

David Pavord served as Averett's men's and women's cross country coach, helping the Cougars' programs achieve new heights during the 1990s. Pavord was named the USA South Athletic Conference's Coach of the Year for women's cross country in 1996 and 1997, leading the Cougars' women's program to the top spot in the conference both years with an official championship in 1997. Pavord restarted the men's program in 1993 and helped start the women's program in 1994. He coached both programs through 1999, and he returned to coach the men's team in 2003 and 2004 while his wife Katri coached the women. During his tenure, the men's team made four NCAA Regional appearances and the women's team made appearances in two seasons. He also had individuals compete in two other NCAA Regionals on the men's side and four times on the women's side. He produced two women's USA South Runners of the Year selections, 17 all-conference performers on the women's side and 10 all-conference performers on the men's side. Read more about Pavord's coaching career

Hannah Shields Contreras '18

Hannah Shields Contreras had a four-year record-setting career with the Averett women's volleyball program from 2014-2017. The four-time American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America selection earned Second Team honors in 2016 and Third Team in 2017 after receiving Honorable Mention notation her first two seasons. A four-time AVCA All-Region selection and 2014 AVCA Region Freshman of the Year, Contreras was selected as the 2014 USA South Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year was named the USA South Player of the Year in each of her final three seasons as well as earning a spot on the USA South All-Tournament Team three times. Other accolades include being a two-time Virginia Sports Information Directors State Player of the Year (2016 and 2017), the 2014 VaSID Rookie of the Year and a four-time VaSID All-State First Team selection. Contreras' name is etched in the USA South and Averett record books while helping the Cougars win three regular season conference titles. She owns the USA South's career record for kills (2,542) and kills per set (4.77), the league's single-match, season and career records for attempts and the conference mark for career sets played. In addition to owning Averett's kills mark, she finished fifth all-time in digs (1,603). She finished with 3.01 digs per set with 119 career blocks and 232 service aces in 533 sets over 147 matches. Off the court, Contreras was also successful. The native of Keeling, Virginia, earned Academic All-America Second Team honors from the College Sports Communicators in 2017 and was a two-time academic all-district honoree in 2015 and 2017. She also earned VaSID Academic All-State honors three times and USA South Academic All-Conference all four years. Her other honors include being a two-time recipient of Averett's Barbara Kushubar Female Student-Athlete of the Year award in addition to numerous USA South Player of the Week honors throughout her four seasons. Read more about Contreras' career

Sarah Smoot '17

Sarah Smoot was a four-year standout on the Averett women's volleyball program from 2014-17, helping the Cougars win two three regular season conference crowns. Smoot was a 2017 Academic All-America Third Team selection by the College Sports Communicators while earn academic all-district honors three times and Virginia Sports Information Directors Academic All-State three times. Smoot was a four-time all-conference performer on the court, earning USA South Honorable Mention honors in 2014 and 2015, USA South First Team East Division in 2016 and USA South Second Team East Division in 2017. In 531 sets over 147 matches, Smoot totaled 1,326 kills — eighth all-time in program history — for 2.50 kills per set with 492 digs and 81 total blocks while mainly playing on the front row. The native of Randleman, North Carolina, earned USA South Academic All-Conference honors all four years and received the Mary C. Fugate Award for the bachelor's graduate with the highest grade point average from Averett upon graduation in December 2017. Read more about Smoot's career

Maaret Voutilainen Viskari '97

Maaret Voutilainen Viskari was a three-year member of the Averett women's tennis program from 1994-97. Viskari became Averett's first-ever conference tournament champion at No. 1 singles, winning and earning First Team All-Conference in singles in 1995 and 1996 while winning the No. 2 singles title in 1997. She also won No. 1 doubles titles in the conference and earned First Team doubles accolades all three years she played. During her final season, she and fellow Averett Athletics Hall of Famer Elina Tolppa were ranked No. 12 in the South Region by ITA. She finished her career with a singles record of 34-20 and a doubles record of 44-13 as Averett won the conference title in all three seasons she played. USA South All-Conference First Team in singles and doubles in each of her three seasons, Viskari also earned USA South All-Conference Second Team honors with Averett's women's cross country program in 1996 after finishing eighth in the conference championship in a time of 23:52. The native of Hameenlinna, Finland, graduated in three years. In 2013-14, she was named to the USA South's 50th Anniversary Team for both women's tennis and cross country. Read more about Viskari's career